1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to devices for anchoring candles within substrates, and more particularly, to a candle holder for holding a candle within a hollowed-out pumpkin, or jack-o-lantern.
2. Discussion
The inside bottom of a hollowed-out pumpkin has a vertically protruding hump or mound known as the bloom point which makes it difficult to securely fix a candle at that spot. Candles have been fixed to the bottom of jack-o-lanterns by a number of methods, however, these methods generally tend to be unsuccessful or unsatisfactory in one way or another. For instance, one method involves placing a candle in a sufficient quantity of melted wax on the bottom of the pumpkin so that the candle will become secured to the bottom when the wax hardens. Alternatively, the candle can be secured in melted wax dripped onto a dish or plate which is then placed at the bottom of the pumpkin on the bloom point. However, both of these methods are unsatisfactory since the candles tend to become unsecured if the pumpkin is moved or if the wax securing the candles melts or softens from the heat produced by the candle flame.
Another method for securing a candle within a jack-o-lantern is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,807 to Chance, et al. issued Sep. 11, 1990. Chance discloses the use of a spiral coil candle holder which is imbedded into a jack-o-lantern in a corkscrew-like manner. While the Chance device overcomes some of the drawbacks of the wax methods described above, there is still room for improvement in the art. For instance, it would be desirable to provide a candle holder having a broader base such that the candle will be isolated from torque forces generated when moving the jack-o-lantern. Also, it would be desirable to provide a more convenient means for imbedding the candle holder within the jack-o-lantern than the corkscrew-type motion describe above.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there is a need for a candle holder which aids in overcoming the above problems and can securely anchor candles to the bottom or bloom point of a pumpkin or other substrate. The present invention provides the necessary solution.